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Forgotten Opera Singers

Jan 28, 2015

Josef Tijssen (Tenor) (Roermond 1871 - Kleve 1923)

Lohengrin

He studied music theory and directing at the Royal
Conservatory in Brussels under A. Warnots and
was active first as director of chorus and chapel master at the Dutch Opera in Amsterdam. Then on
advising his wife he studied singing under Cornélie van Zanten in Amsterdam. He appeared
for the first time as a singer in ‘’Matthäus-Passion’’ by J.S Bach. He began
his stage career in 1897 at the Old Dutch Opera in Amsterdam in which remained till 1902. In the
1902-1903 he was engaged by the Opernhaus
in Frankfurt am Main, in the 1903-1905 seasons he appeared at the Stadttheater in Hamburg, then from 1905 to 1911
again sang in Frankfurt am Main.
In the 1911-1912 season he sang at the Stadttheater in Kiel,
from 1912 to 1915 at the Stuttgarter
Hofoper. During the First World War he lived in Holland. In 1904 he appeared at the Bayreuth Festival
as Walther von der Vogelweide in ‘’Tannhäuser’’. He made guest appearances at
the Hofoper in Dresden (1904), Vienna
(1905) and Munich (1908), also sang at the Hoftheater in Wiesbaden
(1910) and Rotterdam
(1911). His repertoire included Walther von Stolzing, Siegried, Tannhäuser, Lohengrin,
Tristan, Raoul in ‘’ Les Huguenots’’ and Manrico in ‘’Il Trovatore’’. He was
married to the Dutch soprano Anna Tijssen-Bremerkamp. The end of his life ended
tragically. He lived as a pedagogue and music professor in the town Kleve. He was stabbed in
front of his house, when he became involved with troublemakers in front of his
house.